Kevin Feige: Universe Builder?

Kevin Feige is a big deal. If you don’t know who he is, you should. He is the main man behind your favourite movie brand, Marvel. He is responsible for coordinating all the different Marvel films to tell a cohesive story which make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Not all Marvel films are created equal and Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studio is owned by Disney. Whilst other properties such as Fantastic Four and X-Men are owned by Fox and Spider-Man owned by Sony. Although now, Spider-Man is now part of the MCU and under the influence of Kevin Feige. Kevin Feige’s vision of the MCU has been the strongest compared to the others with consistently good films being released.

Recently there has been a shake up in the upper management of Marvel. Kevin Feige, who is the head of Marvel Studios, now reports to Bob Iger the head of Disney. Previously, he reported to Isaac Perlmutter, the CEO of Marvel Entertainment. Isaac Perlmutter is in charge of everything related to Marvel, whilst Kevin Feige was only in charge of the Marvel films being made. This dynamic caused clashes in the relationship between Kevin Feige and Isaac Perlmutter. Isaac Perlmutter is known for being cheap, it’s what got him his job at Marvel. He knows how to save costs and has done so since he took over at Marvel.

By having Kevin Feige report to Bob Iger, head of Disney, this allows Kevin Feige to make bolder decisions and shake up the MCU. Although this hasn’t been made clear, the assumption is that Kevin Feige would be allowed to do bigger plans then he had before. Perhaps bigger plans regarding crossovers with superheroes and newer, less established heroes getting the spotlight.

Kevin Feige is clearly worth a lot to Disney and this move highly suggests that they want him to stay. But does that necessarily mean they want him to continue working on the MCU? It also may be in response to Kevin Feige’s worth and how he would be highly valuable to any competitors for his talents. With that in mind, we’re going to explore alternative routes for Kevin Feige’s future.

Move to Star Wars

One of the other big franchises Disney owns is Star Wars, which has its first Disney-owned film being released this December. Episode VII will kick-start the Star Wars Cinematic Universe (SWCU) with J.J. Abrams taking the helm for the first film. Although, J.J. Abrams has said that he won’t be continuing with the franchise as he wants to work on other projects. Additionally, Disney have already got directors in place for Episode VIII, Rian Johnson (Looper) and Episode IX, Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World). They also already have a head producer in place in the form of Kathleen Kennedy, head of Lucasfilm.

Move to DC Cinematic Universe

Having Kevin Feige report to the head of Disney, Bob Iger, looks like a move to make him stay or possibly use his expertise elsewhere in Disney. However, strictly speculating, this could be a reaction from a falling out between Kevin Feige and Isaac Perlmutter, CEO of Marvel Entertainment, that in order to keep Kevin Feige they agreed to his terms that he would no longer have to answer to Isaac Perlmutter. Using this train of thought, you could speculate that perhaps Kevin Feige would consider leaving Marvel for an opportunity else where.

This is where Warner Brothers can step in, as they already own a massive comic-book company and have the full rights to it in the shape of DC Comics. Although their universe has already stated and they have their key people in place, having the head guy of your competitor join up can only mean good news.

Transformers Cinematic Universe

Another company that would take Kevin Feige in with open arms is Paramount, as they are attempting to construct a Transformers universe due to the success of the previous four films. Bringing on board Kevin Feige along with some of the talent they have already acquired could mean huge things for them.

The first Transformers was pretty good, however the quality of the sequels dropped with each new edition. Someone with Kevin Feige’s experience would bring back good storytelling and make the Transformers series something critics no longer scoff at and actually take it serious. With the popularity of the Transformers series already, and when considering the poor storytelling quality, add in good scripts and a high-class universe built around positive storytelling you could imagine even more money being made for Paramount.

Valiant Comics

Another suggestion I have for Kevin Feige, is a smaller company. Much smaller. Valient Comics. Valiant Comics was setup by former Marvel employees and has a comic-book universe of their own. The last time we heard from Valiant Comics regarding films was their deal with DMG Entertainment which allows for films and TV properties to be built from Valiant Comics’s existing roster of characters.

Enter Kevin Feige and you may have a huge competitor to both Marvel and DC in the comic-book-universe-world. Why would Kevin Feige make such a jump? I believe this is the least likely outcome for Feige’s future, however if he felt as though he wanted a challenge and missed the days of setting up Marvel he could properly get himself involved with this universe.

Ultimately I think the choice to stay or leave Marvel won’t be Kevin Feige’s. When he says he is done with it all, Disney will deliver a truckload of cash to his doorstep and decline his offer. This whole shake up is probably nothing to worry about, but the potential of someone with that level of experience moving to another universe is exciting.

We had franchise builders in the 80’s leading up to the 00’s, but Kevin Feige is a universe builder; a step above. The decision he makes as to where he works in the next 10-15 years will hugely affect the cinema industry as we know it. A choice to jump ship and join a competitor could change the tide of the Battle Of The Universes and create a clear favourite winner for the War Of The Studios.

What do you think Kevin Feige should do next? Not like it’s any of our business, but it’s interesting to discuss.